Schalke agree deal for Germany starlet

Schalke 04 and VfL Bochum have today reached an agreement over the transfer of highly rated midfielder Leon Goretzka.

The club’s general manager, Horst Heldt, was in Bochum to discuss transfer plans with VfL’s sporting director Christian Hochstätter and both parties were able to reach a decision that was “mutually beneficial.”

18 year-old Goretzka had threatened his current employers with a lawsuit after Schalke had submitted an offer to Bochum which matched the midfielder’s buyout clause – believed to be in the region of €4m.

Heldt reported that the talks were positive, saying “We went to Bochum with the aim of resolving the matter by mutual agreement. Both parties were compliant because neither wanted a transition into legal proceedings. We are very glad that reaching an agreement was possible, and now look forward to one of the best young stars in Germany playing at Schalke.”

Goretzka, who scored four goals in 32 appearances last season for Bochum in what was his first season as a professional, will travel to Gelsenkirchen to undergo a medical and put pen to paper on a proposed four-year contract, believed to have a release clause in excess of €30m. Both Schalke and Bochum also agreed to keep financial details of the transfer undisclosed.

Bochum had intended to field Goretzka in their friendly against Preußen Münster, with the midfielder’s name appearing on the teamsheet prior to kick-off, before it was quickly removed in response to the ongoing talks.

Formerly a reported target for a number of European clubs including national giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, as well as the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, Goretzka is widely tipped to be one of Europe’s best in his native Germany – already noted as a potential future captain of the national team.

The 18 year-old already has thirty caps for Germany’s youth sides, scoring twice in ten games for the under-16s and notching five in 17 games for the under-17s before recently making the first of his three appearances for the under-19 side.

His new club have already signed Christian Clemens, Felipe Santana and Ádám Szalai, while Sead Kolasinac recently penned a new deal and rising star Julian Draxler pledged his short-term loyalty to die Königsblauen.